3 Reasons Full-Scale Businesses Should Partner With Startups

By Greg Waisman

The business environment always changes rapidly, and who you partner with can often play a major role in shaping your path forward. While traditional collaborations often focus on partnering with similar-sized or larger businesses, there is an overlooked case for partnerships between full-scale businesses and startups.

Businesses increasingly demand specialized technologies tailored to their needs, and startups are well-positioned to address niche challenges with innovative solutions. According to recent surveys, more than 95% of companies today intend for emerging technologies to be part of their vision in the coming years. As a result, partnerships with innovative startups are only likely to become more important as time goes on.

However, collaborations between startups and corporations don’t always go smoothly. In a McKinsey survey, less than a third (27%) of startups who responded said they’re satisfied with such partnerships. Disagreements about operational timelines and cultural clashes contribute to a lot of frustration on both sides.

That said, I believe it’s a worthwhile effort for full-scale businesses to partner with startups. Here’s why:

Fresh perspectives and agility

Startups are built by forward-thinking teams that are willing to challenge established norms and try something new. They can bring fresh ideas to the table and their typically lean structures mean that startups can quickly adapt to rapid market changes — certainly faster than many of their larger counterparts. This dynamic approach is invaluable for established companies seeking new ideas to stay ahead of competitors.

Take, for example, the way Mastercard partnered with fintech startup Scale earlier this year: The collaboration is meant to bring new payment programs to fintech startups in Africa and the Middle East, enabling them to deploy solutions faster. This is a good example of how established brands can leverage the agility of startups to break into new markets and support them.

In a similar fashion, Britain’s NatWest Bank launched a fintech growth program recently, offering resources to startups that seek to solve the payment sector’s pain points. By selecting the best startups and working together with them, NatWest intends to develop new solutions and drive digital banking forward, clearly showcasing how such collaborations can foster industry-wide innovation.

As a founder, I strongly believe that for scale-up companies, embracing startups isn’t just a benefit — it is going to be an essential part of success in 2025 and beyond, allowing for brand-new ideas and market opportunities.

Building a network effect

Partnering with startups is often about more than just innovation; it’s about driving a sense of community and sector-wide collaboration. Many startups take part in ecosystems where collaboration is a key element, which means that, in turn, companies that engage with such ecosystems can tap into a broader network of stakeholders, investors and market innovators.

As a recent example of this, Microsoft and Nvidia launched an initiative focused on U.K. AI startups, essentially creating a pipeline for emerging talent and cutting-edge technological developments.

In another part of the world, we see C100’s Growth Program for later-stage tech startups in Canada. The messaging behind the program clearly shows how an established corporate player believes it can empower startups while also strengthening its chosen sector as a whole.

Joining such ecosystems is like gaining a “club membership” to exclusive opportunities, which is beneficial for all participants. For startups, it means gaining access to funding, mentorship and growth opportunities. For full-scale businesses, it means greater visibility and building a reputation as a thought leader driving industry advancement.

I know it’s a worthwhile endeavor because my own company did something similar in 2024. We launched a support program for Web3 startups and developers, with the goal of fostering a new generation of solutions that can offer tangible benefits for the global public in day-to-day lives.

People over products

In my experience, when choosing to invest in a startup, many larger companies tend to pay more attention to products rather than the teams behind them. Personally, I disagree with that approach. A good product may attract initial attention, but without a capable team to develop it further, its potential will likely remain unrealized.

Startups begin with ideas, and those ideas change a lot between initial conception and eventual realization in a way that aligns with actual market needs. When a startup has experienced, driven founders and developers working on it, it is more likely to adjust to changes, refine its ideas effectively, and find success in the long run.

Another important point: If you can’t get along with the people behind the startup you’ve partnered with, your collaboration is unlikely to pan out. Recall the statistics covered at the beginning of this article — it is important for teams to be compatible.

Greg Waisman is a co-founder and COO at global payments platform Mercuryo. He is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader with deep roots in the technology market. Waisman has a wealth of experience in full-cycle business management, establishing fintech-related startups and developing them from the ground up.

Illustration: Dom Guzman